Leave me (a Severus and Edward friendship fanfic)

Chapter 5- Memories Part 1

Author’s note: Welcome back to ‘Leave me’! Thank you all for your patience with updating this story, it means a lot :) I just started working 4 days a week which is why updates are still pretty scarce (unfortunately). I’ve just got a couple of things to say before we get into this chapter:

This chapter was originally one chapter, but then a pretty cool idea came to me so I needed to split the chapter in half. I will post the second half before updating ‘A life worth living’ again, so you won’t need to wait long.

I also wanted to congratulate one of my readers on fanfiction.net, Sweetie7smiled for mentioning to me in the second chapter of ‘Leave Me’ an inconsistency between this story and canon. Although I felt it wouldn’t be an issue at the time, when I re-read the end of ‘Prisoner of Azkaban’ I realised that the inconsistency will cause me problems later. SO, I have made a small alteration to chapter two of this story. The facts now stand thus: Severus still knows Wormtail is an Animagus, but instead of attributing this to the Marauders teaching him how to transform, he now assumes that Wormtail learnt after leaving Hogwarts (by what means, he is unsure). Therefore, Severus does not know that James and Sirius were also Animagi.  

Sorry for continuing to make minor changes every now and then!

As for this chapter, it was quite a complex one to write, mainly because the Fidelius Charm is, as I have discovered, quite complicated to explain, especially when you consider all of the possibilities that could happen to the location, the Secret Keeper, and those being protected. Anyway, I hope my version of things fits in with your understanding (as there are inconsistent facts throughout the books)! Various portions of this chapter was taken from canon (DH- The Prince’s Tale), however as you will discover the dialogue and the tone of those scenes are quite different in my story :)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Happy reading!

‘Leave Me’

Chapter 5- Memories

Severus’ POV

Why do I continue to do this to myself?

My heart was pounding against my chest. I lit my wand and scanned the area around me. A cool autumn breeze brushed against my face. I looked in the direction of the wind wondering if this was a natural occurrence or suggestive of Albus Dumbledore’s arrival.

It had been weeks since I had last been here: the hilltop in the middle of nowhere. It was so isolated, with only a small town at the base of the mound that Albus needed to provide me with co-ordinates just so I could find the place. Nevertheless, it was an ideal private location for our original meeting, one that few humans could reach without the assistance of magic. In addition, Albus did not want to be seen communicating with a known Death Eater, and of course, I did not want to be caught in the presence of Albus Dumbledore.

Although I knew our relationship had altered slightly since that time, it still erred me to be up here, in the dark, waiting for him once again.

For the countless time, I twisted towards a misplaced sound which came from somewhere over my shoulder: the snapping of a twig. I lifted my wand in the direction of the noise, and was tempted to stun the rabbit that hopped quickly towards its burrow. I could not allow myself to remain distracted, so I refocused my senses on the other unusual sounds around me: some horrid distant music from the town below; the wind rushing past my ears; the creaking of branches belonging to the tremendous trees above me, and the hooting of an owl perched on one of the boughs.

And still no sign of Dumbledore.

I estimated that he was bordering being late.

Albus’ response to my owl was still clutched in my hand despite receiving it at 5am that morning. Gently, I opened the parchment and read the note for the fifth time since I received it.